Media Contact:
Scott Becker, CPA, CFP, CVA, Managing Partner
HBE Becker Meyer Love LLP
7140 Stephanie Lane
P.O. Box 23110
Lincoln, NE 68542-3110
Phone: (402) 423-4343

HBE Named to 2015 Best Public Accounting Firms Equity Leadership List

LINCOLN, NE (June 9, 2015) – HBE Becker Meyer Love LLP, one of the area’s leading certified public accounting and consulting firms, is pleased to announce that they have been added to the 2015 Accounting MOVE Project Equity Leadership List. The list, which is co-sponsored by the Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance and the American Woman’s Society of Certified Public Accounting, recognizes firms with high proportions of women partners and principles. With women leadership equity of 50%, HBE is one of just 14 firms nationwide awarded with this honor and the only firm in the region on the list.

Founded in 1974, HBE has a long history of leadership equality due to core values centered upon integrity, respect, and teamwork. “We are honored to be recognized for our commitment to identifying the people best fit to lead our firm into the future without regard to gender, age, race, or other diversity,” said Lanelle Herink, HBE Partner. “It is a true blessing to work in an environment where we are respected for our talents and what we can contribute without any thought to gender. This represents genuine teamwork.”

The Accounting MOVE Project evaluates CPA firms across the nation based on percentage of women in leadership roles of various levels. The 2015 Accounting MOVE Project reports a significant boost in the proportion of women partners and principles at the 47 CPA firms participating in the project—an average of 22%, up from 17% five years ago.

“Equality across all staff levels is ingrained in our culture at HBE, and developing leaders based upon their unique individual contributions is integral to our core beliefs,” stated Scott Becker, Managing Partner of HBE. “Being recognized for our commitment to the growth and satisfaction of every employee—regardless of gender, age, or race—is not only rewarding, but also inspiring as we consider the future of our firm and the profession of public accounting.”

Top Trends from the 2015 Accounting MOVE Project

• Pay equity is the topic that won’t go away. Celebrities and politicians are advocating for pay equity transparency and accountability. Firms have a chance to make pay equity a point of strength and trust.
• CPA firms are inviting millennials to join senior staff in networking and business development training, in turn making those processes more democratic.
• Firms that have gained momentum in their advancement of women use their women’s initiatives as strategic growth drivers

“The MOVE Project continues to report improvement for women in the accounting field, but we still have much work to do as an industry,” said Ericka Harney, executive director of the AFWA. “AFWA and the MOVE Project are dedicated to efforts that empower women in the industry and assist in advancing women to senior roles with equal pay.”

For the full list of this year’s equity leadership firms, please click here.

About HBE Becker Meyer Love LLP:

Founded in 1974, HBE Becker Meyer Love LLP is a leading provider of professional accounting and consulting services throughout Lincoln and southeast Nebraska. Operating from one office, the firm offers a complete range of financial management services for businesses, non-profit and governmental organizations, niche industries, and individuals. These services include audit, tax, business consulting, outsourced accounting and CFO solutions, personal financial planning, and wealth management. HBE is proud to be named as a “Best Places to Work” in Lincoln by Woods & Aitken LLP, the Lincoln Journal Star, and the Lincoln Human Resource Management Association. For more information, please visit www.hbecpa.com.

About the Accounting/MOVE Project Partners

The Accounting & Financial Women’s Alliance promotes the professional growth of women in accounting and finance. Members of the association benefit from opportunities to connect with colleagues, advance their careers, and become industry leaders. For 75 years, the organization has proudly upheld its mission to enable women in all accounting and related fields to achieve their full personal, professional and economic potential, and to contribute to the future development of their profession. Visit www.afwa.org for more information.

American Women’s Society of Certified Public Accountants is a national organization founded in 1933 dedicated to serving all women CPAs. The AWSCPA provides a supportive environment and valuable resources for members to achieve their personal and professional goals through various opportunities including leadership, networking and education. As the only resource exclusively for women CPAs and those aspiring to become certified, the society provides information as well as scholarships to those in the profession. The society is a leader in addressing concerns such as gender equity, the glass ceiling, and work and family issues. AWSCPA members—from individual practitioners to professionals in industry, academia, and government, as well as partners in all of the largest firms—work in all segments of the accounting and financial professions. Visit the AWSCPA website at www.awscpa.org or call the society’s office at 800-AWSCPA1 (800-297-2721).

Strategic communications firm Wilson-Taylor Associates, Inc., has been designing and managing national research projects that measure the progress of women in the workplace since 1998. Its methodology pivots on factors proven to remove barriers so that women can fully participate in driving business results. Led by veteran business journalist Joanne Cleaver, its existing and past clients include Women in Cable Telecommunications, the Women’s Transportation Seminar, the Alliance for Workplace Excellence, SitterCity, Ebyline.com and many others. Please see Wilson-Taylor’s portfolio of work at www.wilson-taylorassoc.com.